Annie Ee Yu Lian’s family and Singaporean netizens petition for harsher punishment for the couple who abused, exploited and killed her

Have you been following the latest details about Annie Ee Yu Lian’s murder case?

If you have, you should know that the couple responsible for her death are up for sentencing today, December 1.

As details of the case emerged, netizens have since expressed their rage, sorrow and sympathy for Annie’s death. They expressed anger over how the couple who killed her, Tan Zhui Hen, 33, and Pua Hak Chan, 38, beat her with various household items regularly and tried to conceal their crime.

According to Pua, the husband, he only hit Annie because his wife ordered him to. In a bid for leniency and to shift blame to his wife, he said that he was scared of what his wife would do to him and to Annie if he didn’t beat the girl.

Read about how he tried to throw his wife under the bus on the case.

He also said that he had overdosed on medicine because of his distress from the beatings. Still, he continued to hurt Annie regularly, going so far as to break a dustbin on the girl’s head and shoulder.

Tan, on the other hand, used mental health issues to justify her abuse and neglect. Her lawyer, Josephus Tan, said that because she had previously suffered three miscarriages, she had developed a complex mental state, that included borderline personality disorder, which made her act that way towards Annie.

Annie, on the other hand, could not escape from her situation because of her intellectual impairment. While she could work and earn money to support herself, she could have been unable to make a huge decision like moving out or overcoming her fear.

Tan and Pua successfully exploited her fear and weakness, manipulating Annie into giving them her full month’s salary and living only on an allowance.

When Annie’s injuries became severe, they refused to take her to a medical professional.

Annie eventually died from her injuries. According to reports, “an autopsy detailed the extent of the abuse she suffered: 12 fractured ribs and seven fractured vertebrae, a ruptured stomach and a body crowded with blisters and bruises.”

Netizens want harsher punishment

A petition has been shared and gaining immense traction in relation to the case. Singaporeans are calling for even harsher punishments for the couple.

As of publishing, the petition has almost 20,000 signatures.

Here is what the petition contains:

SINGAPORE PROSECUTION IS ONLY SEEKING 14-15 YEARS OF JAIL FOR COUPLE WHO TORTURED INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED WAITRESS TO DEATH.

From this article by the Straits Times, it is stated : Describing their acts as “an appalling case of abuse and cruelty”, prosecutors are seeking 15 years’ jail for Tan and 14 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane for Pua.

Tan Hui Zhen & Pua Hak Chuan is the Singaporean couple who tortured an intellectually disabled waitress, Ms Annie Ee Yu Lian for a period of 8 months with the intention to cause hurt which eventually led to her death.

As stated from this article by Channel News Asia “An autopsy detailed the extent of the abuse she suffered: 12 fractured ribs and seven fractured vertebrae, a ruptured stomach and a body crowded with blisters and bruises.

Below as taken from the same article by the Straits Times, is the abuse that the victim went through:

– Tan and Pua beat her on her buttocks with a roll of shrink wrap measuring 51.5cm in length, 24cm in circumference and weighing 1.05kg
– Tan kicked and stepped on her chest
– Tan banged her head against a wall
– Tan hit her on the palm and back with a wooden pole that eventually broke into two
– Tan tried to strangle her
– Tan whipped her back, buttocks and upper body with a plastic belt
– Tan slapped her on the face with her bare hands as well as with bathroom slippers. She occasionally told Pua to take over when she became tired
– Pua smashed a pedal dustbin on her shoulder, causing the plastic to crack
– Tan psychologically abused the victim by undermining her sense of self-worth and questioning her daily. Tan told the victim she had a “pig brain”
– Tan and Pua started recording “debts” that they claimed the victim owed them, which included “compensation” for making Tan angry
– To repay the “debts”, Tan made her surrender her monthly salary of $1,200, from which she was given a weekly allowance of $50, which was later cut to $30

NOT ONLY DID THEY TORTURED THE POOR GIRL TO DEATH, THEY TRIED COVER THEIR TRACKS WHEN THEY FOUND THE POOR GIRL DEAD. IF THIS SENTENCE IS PASSED, THEY WILL ONLY BE IN THEIR 50s WHEN RELEASED FROM JAIL. HOW CAN WE LET SUCH BEASTS ROAM FREE AND POTENTIALLY TARGETING ANOTHER VICTIM OF WEAKER MENTAL CAPACITY?

This petition will be delivered to:

• ATTORNEY GENERAL CHAMBERS
• People’s Action Party
• Minister for Law; Minister for Home Affairs
  K. SHANMUGAM